noun
namahage; folkloric demon of the Oga Peninsula
A New Year's Eve tradition in Akita Prefecture where men dress as fierce demons to scare children into good behavior. The word itself refers to both the demon figure and the custom.
秋田県の男鹿半島では、大晦日に「なまはげ」が家々を訪れる。
On the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture, 'namahage' visit houses on New Year's Eve.
なまはげは怠け者や泣く子を戒める鬼の行事だ。
Namahage is a demon ritual to admonish lazy people and crying children.
Rare kanji spelling with okurigana; not commonly used.
Rare kanji spelling using the traditional form of 剥; virtually never used.
Rare kanji spelling with okurigana and traditional 剝; virtually never used.
The origin is uncertain; one theory suggests it derives from 'namomi-hagi' (removing the red skin caused by sitting by the hearth), symbolizing the removal of laziness.